1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to tunnel-driving and support systems and, in particular, to a tunnel support machine for use in a tunnel forming system wherein the tunnel support machine follows a tunnel-driving machine during the driving operation. More particularly, through the operation of the present invention, an inaccessible and/or lengthy tunnel cavity formed by the tunnel-driving machine is supported by a profiled ribbon which is continuously fed to the tunnel support machine and continuously spirally wound thereby into a support tube which lines and reinforces the tunnel cavity, the individual windings of the ribbon being connected together in the area of the side edges of the ribbon, as by jamming, and pressed against the wall of the tunnel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Offenlegungsschrift DE OS 24 42 357 discloses a system wherein the walls of a tunnel which is formed with a driving machine are lined during the driving operation with a helical coil formed from a flexible ribbon wound by a tunnel support machine. In this system, the removal of material detached or excavated by the tunnel-driving machine occurs by means of a conveying device installed in the area of the central axis of the tunnel and the helical lining. In operation, the wound ribbon must be continuously pushed as a spiral over the conveying device, and in some cases the required supply and discharge lines. In such a system, the profiled ribbon, which is stored on rolls, can only be suspended on the driving machine and on the entrance shaft. For this reason, only relatively short tunnel-driving lengths can be obtained. Since this system provides that the profiled ribbon be wound onto rolls and stored, it has proven to be impractical for providing support for inaccessible and/or lengthy tunnels because only a small number of coils can be carried by the tunnel driving machine and the separating operation involving rewinding a new supply of profiled ribbon onto the coils occurs too frequently.
Consequently, an advantage exists for a tunnel support machine which can receive a continuous supply of the profiled ribbon and can continuously spirally wind the profile over support drifts of any length without interruption. A further advantage exists for a tunnel support machine which enables the supply and discharge lines extending rearwardly from the system in the region of the central axis of the tunnel tube to be laid upon the floor of the tube rearwardly of the tunnel support machine whereby they may extend to a source location outside of the spirally wound tube without need of a support which would interfere with the continuous feeding-in of the profiled ribbon.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a tunnel support machine which can receive a continuous supply of profiled ribbon and can continuously spirally wind the profile over support drifts of any length without interruption.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tunnel support machine which enables the supply and discharge lines extending rearwardly from the system in the region of the central axis of the tube to be laid upon the floor of the tube rearwardly of the tunnel support machine whereby they may extend to a source location outside of the spirally wound tube without need of a support which would interfere with the continuous feeding-in of the profiled ribbon. 10 Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in light of the attached drawings and written description of the invention presented hereinbelow.